


Timestamps

by gunslingaaahhh



Series: Little!Steve [2]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M, Timestamp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-05-18
Packaged: 2017-12-04 21:49:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gunslingaaahhh/pseuds/gunslingaaahhh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>ETA 3/19:</p><p>Since people have been asking, I felt it necessary to do a disclaimer, and that way maybe I can explain it a little better.</p><p>At no point will Steve and Danny be engaging in an adult relationship. By adult I mean any sort of kissing, touching, or speaking that comes off as sexual. Why? Because Steve has suffered an irreversible brain injury that has rendered him at the capacity of a child. Danny would never, COULD never push such a relationship with Steve as he is within the realm of this story.</p><p>I hope this clears things up for anyone that came to this fic looking for porn.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Sticky-Uppy

**Author's Note:**

> ETA 3/19:
> 
> Since people have been asking, I felt it necessary to do a disclaimer, and that way maybe I can explain it a little better.
> 
> At no point will Steve and Danny be engaging in an adult relationship. By adult I mean any sort of kissing, touching, or speaking that comes off as sexual. Why? Because Steve has suffered an irreversible brain injury that has rendered him at the capacity of a child. Danny would never, COULD never push such a relationship with Steve as he is within the realm of this story.
> 
> I hope this clears things up for anyone that came to this fic looking for porn.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny never was good with uncomfortable conversations.

Bleary-eyed, Danny flapped a hand at the alarm clock, swatting until his fingertips reached the "off" button. Stretching, he grunted and then relaxed, staring up at the ceiling. If anyone had asked him if he thought he'd be getting up at eight in the morning on a _Saturday_ , of all things, he'd have laughed in their face.

As it was, he was awake and it was Saturday and it was eight in the morning. Sighing heavily, he rolled from the bed and trudged into the bathroom to make himself look a bit more human. Once done, he tugged on a pair of well-worn sweatpants -- an old pair of Steve's -- and quietly went out into the hall.

He didn't wake up so early on a weekend because he _wanted_ to; no, Danny Williams was awake at eight in the morning on a Saturday because if he didn't get up, his six-foot-super-SEAL would be left to his own devices, and that was never good.

At the moment, the aforementioned super SEAL -- or former super SEAL, Danny corrected himself -- didn't seem to be making much noise. Still sleeping, then.

Carefully making his way down the stairs in such a manner as to not creak the old boards, Danny padded his way down the hall of the addition to Steve's hallway. Listening at the door, he was surprised to hear soft murmurings. Curious, he let himself in, peering around the door.

Steve was laying in his bed, trusty stuffed elephant in one hand, Pop-eye figurine in the other. He was talking to them, moving them around; playing. Danny couldn't quite hear what he was saying, smiled to himself as he crept into the room.

"Hey babe," he called, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. 

Steve blinked at him before smiling that bright, sunny smile of his, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Danno," he replied, and Danny would never tire of just _happy_ Steve was to see him every morning.

"Whatcha doin' there, huh? Playing with your guys?"

"My babies," Steve told him, squishing the toys together and clutching them to his chest, grinning. "I play my babies."

Danny grinned at him, moving out of the way as Steve wriggled into a sitting position. He was about to ask the other man what he wanted for breakfast when Steve interrupted him.

"Danno? Why my peepee get sticky-uppy?"

It was like his brain suddenly became a black hole, void of thought. The little voice in Danny's head was screaming bloody murder and running in little circles. _Is this serious?_ he thought to himself, face frozen in a mask of shock as Steve patiently waited for his explanation.

"Is--why is-- I'm sorry, _what?_ " he asked, trying to keep a smile on his face but failing. "Your what?"

"My peepee," Steve said, earnest. "My peepee sticky-uppy; why Danno?"

"Sticky-uppy," Danny muttered to himself, scrubbing at his face. "Um, well, you're a boy, and boys' peepees get, um, they... uh, they stick up because they're full of blood."

Steve's face went from earnestly curious to slightly horrified, and Danny shot out both hands to rest on Steve's shoulders, squeezing. "It's not a bad thing! That's just whats happening inside it, to make it stand up. It's a boy thing, it happens to all of us. Does... when have you noticed that it's standing up?"

Chewing on his bottom lip, Steve thought for a moment. "Morning time," he stated. "Before I go pee."

"Uh-huh, and does it go away after you use the bathroom?"

"Yeah, yeah Danno," Steve told him, smiling. "I pee and it not sticky-uppy."

"That's fine then, totally normal," Danny reassured him. Grinning, Steve scooted to the edge of the bed and levered himself up, trundling towards the bathroom. Danny waited until he was gone before flopping onto his back and letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

He couldn't think of a time when Steve had asked him about morning wood. Or anything to do with... that particular part of his anatomy. He hadn't noticed any morning wood, either, but it wasn't like he was looking for it, exactly.

Although now he probably would, at every opportunity.

Cursing, he forced himself to think unsexy thoughts so he wouldn't have his own sticky-uppy problem when Steve came back from the bathroom; the last thing he needed was to have a conversation about his own peepee.

-FIN-


	2. The Legend of the Sparkly Unicorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's elephant needs a bath, and Danny is not looking forward to it.

There were few times Danny had ever considered himself a coward; as a police officer, he didn't have the luxury of fear.

Of course, at this moment, he would much rather be in the line of fire. Because this? This is not something he wants to do. At all.

Steve's stuffed elephant needs to be washed in a big way, and Danny knows from parental experience that getting the toy away from him is going to be almost impossible. The stuffed animal has become something of an extra limb, and the only time it's out of Steve's sights is when he's at his day program. Unfortunately, Danny is at work during that time and the house is empty until Leilani shows up, at which point Steve again has the toy by his side.

Danny had of course considered sneaking it out of Steve's grasp while he slept, but Steve still slept as lightly as ever and at the slightest twitch he would wake, Danny was sure.

So, how to convince Steve to part with the stuffed animal in a way that wouldn't cause World War III in the living room.

"You need to be firm," Kono had said. "I'm sure if you explain that it needs to be done, he'll understand."

Danny stared at her, skeptical. "We are talking about the same guy, right? No way will he just let me have the damn thing. It'd be like asking him if I could cut off his arm and borrow it for five minutes."

"Just calmly explain what's going to happen," Chin offered. "Maybe have him help? Leilani said he does laundry with her, right?"

_Easier said than done, _Danny thought glumly.__

__Of course, it was Grace who had the idea that made the most sense. "Just get him a new toy, something he picked out so its extra special. Then he won't miss the elephant so much if you sneak it away."_ _

__Frowning to himself, Danny considered the idea before filing it away. He'd have to find time to take Steve to the toy store and hope that neither of them would feel weird about it._ _

__~*~_ _

__Evidently Steve felt “weird” about very little, as at the first mention of going to Toys ‘R’ Us, he squealed like a little girl._ _

__“New babies?! Yeah Danno!” he shouted, mega watt smile firmly in place. “I have new babies.”_ _

__His enthusiasm was catching, and Danny fought the urge to freak out alongside him. “I wouldn’t say _babies_ , but you can definitely pick out one.”_ _

__Satisfied and none the wiser, Steve practically skipped to the car, vibrating with excitement._ _

__The drive to the store was short, and luckily Danny had already developed his cover story for if Steve asked why they’d needed to go to the toy store._ _

__Apparently it had been a long time since Danny had visited a Toys ‘R’ Us, because he stood right beside Steve and gawked at the place just as much as the other man did. Packaged toys were stacked almost floor to ceiling, and Danny suddenly felt like he was in Home Depot or Ikea, totally dependent on aisle signs to get around._ _

__“Um... lets, uh, go... this way?” Danny suggested, taking Steve by the wrist and leading him in the direction of the stuffed animals. Since it was the weekend, the place was packed with screaming kids, and Danny could already feel a headache coming on. Steve seems to be oblivious, eyes wide as he goggles at the shelves of toys._ _

__“Ok babe, you get to pick, take your time,” Danny says, nudging Steve down the aisle. He sees teddy bears and various other cute and cuddly animals, as well more humanoid stuffies. Steve carefully examines everything as he walks by, tongue caught between his teeth._ _

__Grinning to himself, Danny watched as Steve drifted towards the larger stuffed animals. The grin fell, though, when he saw what Steve apparently had settled on._ _

__“Danno, I this baby,” he said, gesturing towards it. Danny didn’t move, just stared, blinking._ _

__“Are you sure? Remember, you can have whatever you want.”_ _

__Nodding, Steve tugged the toy off it’s shelf and hugged it to his chest. “I have this one.”_ _

__Sighing, Danny scrubbed at his face and nodded his defeat. If Steve wanted a large, sparkly purple unicorn with silver hooves, Danny wasn’t going to stop him._ _

__They paid and left, Steve chattering about playing with his new toy the whole while. Danny hoped Steve would be so in love with the thing that by the time they got home, he’d be able to sneak the elephant off Steve’s bed and into the washing machine._ _

__~*~_ _

__Things went... surprisingly smoothly when they got home. Steve ended up on the couch with his unicorn, zoning out in front of the TV, allowing Danny ample time to grab the elephant and put it in the laundry. Of course, in the nature of things and how they go in Danny’s life, the smoothness was interrupted when Steve abruptly got up from the couch and wandered into his bedroom. Danny watched him from the recliner, suddenly nervous. He listened to a few minutes of silence, body tense._ _

__“Danno.”_ _

__Oh, shit._ _

__“Yeah babe?” he called back, trying to sound nonchalant and failing miserably._ _

__Steve appeared in the hall, face stormy. “Where my elle-phunt.”_ _

__He didnt pose it like a question, and that alone told Danny he was in trouble. Sighing heavily, he levered himself up from the recliner and went to Steve. “I’m not going to lie to you, Steve; I put it in the wash. He was filthy, and full of germs--” he started before Steve’s face twisted with rage._ _

__“No!” he shouted, practically bellowed. “Elle-phunt _mine_ , not Danno’s! Steve say no touch, Danno _no touch_.”_ _

__Tears had formed and were slowly making their way down Steve’s cheeks; he didn’t even notice, hands angrily balled into fists and posture almost ramrod straight._ _

__“Whoa, hey, simmer down,” Danny said, holding his hands palm up to exude calm. “It needed to be done, and if I’d asked you, you’d have told me no, and then what?”_ _

__Mouth twisting, Steve surged forward and knocked over the coffee table. “No!” he shouted, practically in Danny’s face._ _

__“Hey! Don’t you be fresh to me, I just bought you a new toy and everything.” Danny picked up the unicorn and waggled it, squawking when Steve batted it out of his hand._ _

__“I not play it, I want my elle-phunt!” Steve screamed. His face was red and blotchy, and Danny knew they were quickly heading for the mother of all melt-downs. He was reminded of Grace’s “terrible twos” and the tantrums she’d had as a toddler. It had taken some serious team-work between himself and Rachel to come up with ways to keep them from happening. If she’d been able to wind herself up into a full blown tantrum, though, it was better to just let her work it out of her system._ _

__The main difference here, though, was the fact that Grace had been two years old and tiny, and Steve was over six feet tall and thirty-five._ _

__“Steven,” Danny tried again, keeping his voice calm. “Your elephant should be coming out of the dryer any minute now. He will be clean, soft, and he’ll smell like... well, like something clean. When you sleep with something and have it with you all the time, it gets grody. What I’m trying to say is that it would have needed a bath _anyway_ ; you get baths, right? Your elephant can’t have a bath in the tub like you, so I have him a bath in the washing machine.”_ _

__Steve’s face was the epitome of skeptical, but at least he wasn’t continuing to raise hell. Danny made his way towards the kitchen and the laundry room, gesturing for Steve to follow him. They made their way to the dryer and just as Danny had said, the dryer had a couple of minutes left before being done._ _

__The buzzer went off, and Danny carefully opened the door and removed the toy. He presented it to Steve, who studied it warily. He tentatively reached out a hand before snatching the elephant out of Danny’s hand and clutching it to his chest. Tears reformed, and his bottom lip quivered._ _

__“Danno...” he started, voice watery, before throwing himself at Danny and burying his face against Danny’s shoulder._ _

__“It’s ok buddy. You can’t get crazy like that, though; things are going to happen that you aren’t happy with. And hey, it isn’t like you didn’t get him back, right?” Danny asked, rubbing Steve’s back._ _

__“Y-yeah,” Steve sniffled. “I sorry I yell, Danno. I sorry I hurt the table.”_ _

__“Aww, you didn’t hurt the table. You _will_ help me clean it up, though.”_ _

__Snuffling, Steve nodded and they made their way back out to the living-room together. The coffee table was righted, and after everything was tidied, they settled back onto the couch with the unicorn._ _

__“Hey, Steve, you wanna hear a story? Let me tell you about the legend of the Sparkly Unicorn...”_ _

__

__-FIN-_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This timestamp is dedicated to simplyn2deep and bookemdanno_net on Twitter, and based on this picture:  
> 
> 
>   
>  [](http://tinypic.com?ref=v4qow9)   
> 


	3. 98.6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny is sick, and it's up to Steve to take care of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This timestamp is more from Steve's point of view; part of his injury resulted in limited speech, though his thoughts are generally more organized.

The sun was streaming in the window when Steve blinked his eyes open; those first few seconds of wakefulness were felt with slight panic as he remembered where he was, eyes darting around the room before the feeling subsided and he could relax.

Rolling onto his back, Steve stretched, left leg stiff as it usually was first thing in the morning. He snagged his elephant from where it had gotten stuffed beneath the pillows and hugged it to his chest before yawning. He wasn’t sure what time it was, though it somehow felt... later. Sitting up, he glanced at the clock and was shocked to see it was almost ten.

_Danno never sleeps this late,_ he thought, frowning. It wasn’t the weekend, and even if it was, Danny had issues with anyone being in bed past nine or so... Steve didnt mind, he was up well before then anyway, and he was delighted Danny wanted to spend time with him right away like that.

Shimmying out of the blankets, Steve lumbered towards his bedroom door and listened. Brow furrowing, he made his way out to the living room, surprised to find the curtains still drawn and the nightlight still plugged in. It was obvious no one had been downstairs yet, and Steve turned to look up the stairs, chewing at his bottom lip.

A strange, unsettled feeling formed in his stomach; what if something was wrong? What if something had happened to Danny in the night? Tears immediately began to form in Steve’s eyes, and he was preparing to start sobbing when that little voice in the back of his head -- the one that sounded like Big Steve -- piped up. 

_Go upstairs and check on him, he might have gotten sick,_ the voice said, soothingly, and Steve took a deep breath. He went to put on his brace; it was bad enough he was going up the stairs, Danny would kill him if he tried the stairs without the stabilization of the brace.

So armed, he left the elephant on the bed and stood at the foot of the stairs, left hand positioned on the bannister, the right hand braced against the wall. Slowly, he took the first step, holding his breath around the curve and up, up, up to the hall. When he crested the landing he paused, releasing a held breath and closing his eyes for a moment, before continuing down the hall.

He stopped at the closed bedroom door and pressed his ear to it, listening: all was quiet. Doubly concerned now, he slowly opened the door and peered around it towards the bed. Danny was in it, which eased some of Steve’s tension, and the other man was wrapped up in the blanket so much that only the top of his head stuck out. 

Quietly as he could with the clumping brace, Steve made his way towards the bed, suddenly nervous. He reached out to pull the blanket back and was startled when Danny sneezed himself awake. Struggling to sit up, Danny blindly reached out towards a box of tissues on the side table, face blotchy and hair all over the place.

“Danno!” Steve announced, so relieved that no one had come and stolen his beloved Danny in the night.

Danny jumped, blinking his eyes open and staring, confused for a moment. His expression softened into something Steve couldn’t place, before abruptly shifting to something more upset. 

“Steve? What are you doing up here? You know how I feel about you on the stairs!”

“You not come down get me,” Steve replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Clock says ten.”

“I...” Danny trailed off before glancing at the alarm clock, groaning. “Fuck. I called into work, I spoke to Leilani, but I forgot to come down and talk to you. I’m sorry, babe.”

“It’s ok, now Danno plays with Steve all day!”

Danny scrubbed at his face, and Steve briefly caught a glimpse at just how exhausted the other man was; the idea of playing with him all day didn’t seem to be helping. “I don’t know about that... d’you think you can manage your own breakfast? I need to take a shower, I feel awful.”

Steve nodded, watching as Danny blew his nose, groaning. Frowning, he hopped up from the bed. “I bring Danno breakfast!”

“You what? No, Steve, you’re not carrying a tray laden with food up here, alright, and besides, who’s going to clean up the kitchen after you? No, absolutely not. Go have your own breakfast, I’ll be down in a while.”

Dismissed, Steve watched Danny drag himself into the shower before navigating his way down the stairs. He understood why Danny didn’t want him doing the stairs with his hands full, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to bring the other man something. Wandering into the kitchen, he paused at the island, thinking. He wasn’t allowed to touch the stove, so that meant no pancakes, waffles, or eggs. Cereal might work, but a bowl sloshing with milk? No way.

Tears welled up, and Steve slumped into a chair, wringing his hands. He hated, _hated_ how useless he was now. He could do all sorts of big boy things Before, but now... tears slid down his cheeks. He just wanted to help Danno feel better, and he couldn’t even do that correctly.

_What about orange juice?_ Big Steve whispered. _The vitamin C will be good for him; carry the bottle up and bring a plastic cup with you._

Sniffling, Steve pulled the juice from the fridge, retrieved a plastic tumbler from the cabinet, and hobbled his way back to the stairs. He put the tumblr over the top of the bottle and tucked it under his arm before making his way up the stairs. Upon re-entering the bedroom, he found Danny freshly showered and wrapped in his towel, but asleep on top of the blankets. Smiling despite himself, Steve deposited the bottle of juice on the bedside table before climbing onto the bed beside Danny, curling himself around the other man. 

After a few minutes, Danny woke, mumbling about something before glancing at Steve out of the corner of his eye. “Back so soon?” he rasped.

“I bring you juice,” Steve told him, hesitant. He motioned to the bottle and cup, nervous that Danny would be upset with him.

Silent, Danny stared at the juice for a moment before setting his gaze on Steve. The weight of that gaze was heavy, and Steve soon dropped his head, staring intently at the pattern on the blanket. Suddenly Danny was throwing his arms around Steve’s shoulders, pulling him in for a hug.

“Thank you,” he mumbled into Steve’s shoulder.

“Welcome, Danno. I be your nursie.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, babe.”

 

-FIN-


	4. Tuesday Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny gets verbal vomit in his therapist's office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I mentioned Danny getting therapy, but never went any further than that. This is a little insight into one of his sessions.
> 
> Warning: angst overflow.

The Camaro’s engine is ticking, still warm from the drive from Five-0 HQ. Danny shakes himself from his daze and leaves the car, taking his time walking into the building.

He briefly wonders what he’ll spill his guts about this time.

~*~

“Have you considered dating again?”

Spluttering, Danny scrambles out of his chair -- apparently shrinks dont use couches anymore... at least, this one doesnt, shes got two comfortable chairs facing each over but to the side -- and paces.

“Why do you always come back to that! I told you I don’t want to talk about it.”

The therapist, Dr Bennett, a woman close to Danny’s own mother’s age with salt-and-pepper hair, sighs before removing her glasses. “Which is exactly why we need to talk about it, Danny. The root of your distress is your relationship with Steve, and the adjustments you’ve had to make. Keeping everything bottled up isn’t good for you, and you might feel better if you talk it out.”

“I don’t want to,” Danny replied, folding his arms across his chest, sulking. “Talking about it makes me feel like a douche bag.”

“There has to be a reason why, don’t you think?”

Throwing his hands up, Danny slumps back into his chair. “Alright, yes, there’s a reason. It feels... it feels like cheating.” He mumbled this last, fiddling with the buttons of his shirt. 

“Cheating how? Because of the relationship you had with Steve prior to his accident?” Dr Bennett asked, making a note. “I would think that sort of butts heads with your new relationship with him.”

“Yeah... I know everything is different, because I live it with him every day, but at the same time... in the back of my head? There’s a little voice that says Steve and I are still a couple, that we’re _together_ , even though consciously I know we aren’t. The idea of dating someone seems... disloyal. And not only that! What if I like them and they like me? What if they want to come back to the house? What do I do, kick Steve out for a night? They’d have to meet him, and I’d have to explain the situation, and then this hypothetical person would more than likely beat feet because obviously I’m still in love with my partner, even if he’s different.”

There was silence following the sudden rush of words, and Danny felt heat creep up his neck. It somehow felt worse to say it out loud.

Scribbling a few notes, Dr Bennett sighed. “If I may be so bold, I really don’t think you’ll be able to get to that point if you don’t first reassess your relationship with Steve. Obviously I don’t know his medical history, only what you’ve shared, but it seems to me that he’s operating at the capacity of an elementary or middle school aged child. He is not functioning at an adult level and therefore probably isn’t capable of an adult relationship. He loves you, that much is evident... but it sounds like he loves you in the same way your daughter loves you, and not in the way he once did. You are his one protector, provider... you are his entire world, just as you are to Grace. His love for you is no doubt unconditional--”

Danny cut her off, angry. “Listen, you say it like that and it makes him sound like a golden retriever or something, and he isn’t; he gets upset with me about things, throws fits, yells--”

“But does he or does he not apologize after? Everything always goes back to the way it was. That’s not what I mean, Danny, and I don’t mean to imply that Steve isn’t capable of a deeper understanding of love, I just meant that he isnt able to give you the kind of love or intimacy that you shared with him before. And as an adult who’s experienced those kinds of relationships, it’d be good for you to have that.”

“I... do miss it, the intimacy,” Danny said, scrubbing at his face. “Steve loves to cuddle, but like before, we’d curl up on the couch and watch a football game or something. He doesn’t have the patience now, he gets bored, he won’t sit still. Either that or he falls asleep and then I have to wake him to move him to his bedroom. And the way we talked to each other... his speech is so limited as it is, I feel like I’m talking to a toddler and I feel terrible for saying that.”

“Why?”

“Because he had to work _so hard_ to gain even that much back, and I’m sitting here bad-mouthing him.”

Dr Bennett smiled gently. “It’s not bad-mouthing, you have the right to say what you really feel, even about Steve.”

“It’s just that... how would I explain my wanting to date again, to him? To him or to this new person, the date? What do I call Steve? I always think of him as my partner... do I say ‘hey, this is my former partner, and guess what! We were sleeping together and lived together for a while before he was brain-damaged and now I take care of him.’ That’s a lot to dump on someone, even with the brain capacity to understand. Steve... knows we were ‘together’ prior to his accident, that we were ‘being boyfriends,’ as he says. What if he thinks that, by dating someone else, I’m abandoning him? Like you said, I’m all he has. His sister isn’t going to step up, and I don’t know any of his other family; I could never put him in a facility, it would kill him.”

“Well, how did you explain to Grace that you were seeing someone else after you and her mother divorced?”

Danny wrinkled his nose. “That’s different; Rachel was already married to Stan well before I even _met_ Steve.”

“But you did still tell her you were seeing him? That you weren’t just work partners anymore?”

“Umm... it’s weird, now that I think about it, no. She caught us kissing once, behind the house, and she just rolled with it, like we’d done it a thousand times.”

“Did you see anyone before you got intimate with Steve?”

Frowning, Danny thought before snapping his fingers. “Yes, of course, Gabby! I had a dinner at a restaurant, gave everyone a chance to meet her and she and Grace got along great. I’d told her beforehand that Gabby was a new friend, that we’d been spending a lot of time together. She... sort of inferred the rest, I think. My Monkey is a smart kid.”

“She sounds like it. Now, do you think that perhaps if you explained the idea to Steve in the same way, he’d infer the rest?”

“Steve... it’s weird, there’s a lot of stuff from prior to his accident that’s sort of buried in his subconscious. Every once in a while a little something pops up, and I’m like ‘what the...’ and then it’s gone, poof. So I think he gets a lot, he sees a lot, he just takes a lot longer to process the information. I’d have to lay it all out for him.”

There was a pause, and Dr Bennett raised her eyebrows. “And you don’t think you need to do that? Out of respect for his feelings, I would.”

“It... isn’t that,” Danny started, voice soft. “Telling him I’m seeing someone new is essentially telling him I’ve moved on, and that means coming to terms with the fact that all of this is _real_ , that my Steve isn’t just going to suddenly come back and things be like they were. It also means I’d have to do like you said, and reassess our relationship and re-label us; he isn’t my child but sometimes I feel like I’m treating him that way, which doesn’t mesh with the mental image I have, of what I remember about us together. Sometimes... I forget that he isn’t my Steve. He’s wandered into my bedroom on occasion, and I’ve woken up to him laying beside me, and for that one, tiny second, it’s like we’re back to normal, Danno and Steve, Five-0. And then I notice his pajamas, or his thumb in his mouth, or he talks to me and it’s gone, reality comes crashing back. I can’t... I don’t want...”

Unable to continue, Danny coughed out a sob and buried his face in his hands, trying to get it together. He felt Dr Bennett tap him on the shoulder and offer him a box of tissues, which he gratefully took. He blew his nose and dabbed his eyes, the silence heavy for all that he himself suddenly felt lighter.

“I’m going to make a few suggestions for your goals this week,” Dr Bennett said, breaking the silence. “First, sit down and try to make a list of all the qualities that made you fall in love with Steve in the first place. See how many of them have changed, how many have stayed the same, et cetera. Next, think about what sort of relationship you want to have with him in the future. I can tell you’re feeling a lot of guilt about treating him like he’s a child; he isn’t your son, he’s an adult with a traumatic injury. Do some research on how best to communicate with someone who has developmental challenges; maybe you can find a way to make both you and Steve feel like you’re on more of an even keel.”

“That’s gonna be tough,” Danny muttered. 

“Lastly, I want you to ask Steve what _he_ wants. In all this time, we’ve talked in assumptions, what _we_ think he wants, what he feels. Take him aside and speak plainly to him: how he feels about you, what sort of relationship he’d like to have with you, if he’d like a chance to be more independent. You’ve said time again that you want to provide a good quality of life for him, and part of that is allowing him to give you feedback.”

“But what if he doesn’t understand what I’m asking?” Danny frowned. 

“Break it down, make it simpler, come up with examples, whatever you need to do so that he can actively participate in the conversation. You think of him as a child because he acts like one... he may only be acting like a child because that’s how you’ve been treating him. You baby him, and he’ll come to accept that that is how you want him to be. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I hadn’t thought of it like that...”

Dr Bennett smiled, glanced at the time, and sighed. “Our time is up for today. I’ll see you next week?”

Standing, Danny rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck. “Yup, I’ll be here; it’s gonna take us _years_ to work through my baggage, trust me.”

 

-FIN-


	5. Declaration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve has been working very hard to get to this moment.

Steve had been planning the moment for weeks; he'd gone through the folder full of contact information from his rehab, searching out the business card Ruth the speech therapist had given him. He'd stared at the phone for a while after, unsure of how to properly expres what he wanted.

He couldn't very well ask Danny, since doing so would spoil the surprise, so instead Steve asked Grace. Her smile had made him blush, though he was glad of her help. Together they phone Ruth, detailing what Steve needed. Ruth agreed, delighted, and promised to meet and work with Steve at his day program.

Plan in action, Steve was excited but nervous. He was very aware of the fact that his speech was delayed, that he often sounded like a baby. His goal was to work on improving his vocabulary and diction, then put all that hard work to good use.

It hadn't escaped Steve's notice that some people found Danny's role as guardian to be thankless. To think he wasn't grateful, that he didn't appreciate every single thing Danny had done or the thing he was still doing, made Steve sick. He knew too, though, that it was hard for him to say what he really wanted to say, tell Danny thank you. So, he and Ruth got to work.

~*~

"This is a great surprise, thank you guys," Danny said. He'd been taken to a restaurant by Chin, greeted by Grace, Kono, Kamekona, Max, Steve, and most shockingly, Ruth. As the dinner dishes were being cleared, Steve glanced over at Ruth before moving to stand beside Danny's chair. The other man glanced up at him curiously, but before he could ask what was going on, Grace called for quiet.

Clearing his throat, Steve removed a folded piece of paper from his pocket and carefully smoothed it out.

"Dear Danno," he began, and the irony of that was not lost on Danny. "I know it has been a while that you heard me talk like a big boy, so go easy."

Steve darted a look up, noted that he had Danny's attention, and continued. "I love you very much a lot and I th-thankful for things you done for me. I sorry I not say it enough. I try say it more. I also know sometimes I bad to live with; I try harder not to be bad."

Danny made a strange sound, halfway between a cough and a sob; Steve was pretty sure that was the other man's crying sound.

"Teacher say I get better better, and more when you help me. Teacher say you give me more... ree-spon-sa-bill-it-ees at home and that help get me better. More I do, better I do. Maybe we do thing together? You give chores me, I would like some to help at our house. I can do them, you show me how.

"I miss talk you at night. We do Before? I not re-remember but maybe we do now. I like you read me the paper and we talk the news, you say it just right.

"Sometimes you yell; teacher say you get fr-frust-rated at me and that's ok. It ok you get fr-- that way at me, because sometimes I get that way about you. And that's ok too. We love each other so that's why its ok.

"I hope you like I note I make you. Ruth help me make it, we work a lot at school to make it for you. Also I hope you like the food. I love you much a lot, love, Steve."

The end of Steve's speech was met with silence. He kept his attention firmly fixed on Danny, because despite how much Steve cared about everyone else, his Danno was the only thing that truly mattered.

Danny wiped his eyes and blew his nose, his smile watery. Rather than speak, he stood and wrapped his arms tightly around Steve's shoulders. Everyone else at the table stood and applauded; neither Steve nor Danny acknowledged the sound, instead focusing on each other. Steve was returning the hug, face tucked against Danny's shoulder.

"I love you too, babe," Danny murmured into Steve's ear. "We'll work together, just like we always have, as partners."

Steve grinned, nuzzling at Danny's neck. Being partners was all he'd wanted, and he knew that having Danny by his side was just what he needed to make it.

 

-FIN-


End file.
